MINSK, 24 May (BelTA) – In 2019, the European Union launched the regional EU4Climate program to support the six Eastern Partnership countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, and Ukraine. The inception workshop of the program took place in Minsk on 24 May, BelTA learned from the press service of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Belarus.
“The EU spearheads environment protection and climate change efforts and the Eastern Partnership countries play an important role in our joint efforts to achieve green development. The new EU4Climate program will contribute to low CO2 emission and climate resilient development of Belarus. The program also aims to reduce the impact of climate change on people's lives and help them adapt to it,” Head of the EU Delegation to Belarus Andrea Wiktorin said.
The program is financed by the EU and is implemented by the UNDP. Belarus will get €1.1 million to implement the program in 2019-2022.
The program will help Belarus meet its commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensure climate resilient development in line with the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change and other international documents.
During the EU4Climate inception workshop, government officials and representatives of various interested parties discussed priorities and further steps to implement the EU4Climate initiative in Belarus until 2022.
The EU4Climate program relies on the experience of running and finished projects such as Clima East and on the EU and UNDP expertise in developing climate policies and management strategies at regional and national levels.
According to UNDP Resident Representative in Belarus Alexandra Solovieva, in the last ten years the UNDP has implemented, in cooperation with international partners, more than ten projects worth $20 million in Belarus to help the country respond to climate change challenges. “Our joint support to the Belarusian government includes comprehensive solutions which combine measures to introduce energy efficient technologies, to make a wider use of renewables, to ensure sustainable and rational exploitation of natural resources, to promote conservation and sustainable management of natural landscapes, waste management, green infrastructure development, and others,” Alexandra Solovieva said.
